High Denier Per Filament and Low Total Denier Tow Bands

Abstract

A method for producing a bale of crimped tow band may include providing a tow band having about 10 denier per filament or greater and about 20,000 total denier or less, the tow band comprising a plurality of cellulose acetate filaments; crimping the tow band thereby yielding a crimped tow band; conditioning the crimped tow band; and baling the crimped tow band to form a bale.

Description

BACKGROUND[0001]The present invention relates to high denier per filament and low total denier cellulose acetate tow bands and smoking device filters produced therefrom.[0002]The draw resistance of other smoking articles, e.g., cigarettes, is a major determinant of the draw characteristic(s) of the cigarette which are experienced by a smoker. In cellulose acetate filters, draw characteristics may depend on several factors including the cellulose acetate filament characteristics, the amount of cellulose acetate filaments, and the concentration of additives incorporated in said filaments. One measure of draw characteristics is the encapsulated pressure drop. As used herein, the term “encapsulated pressure drop” or “EPD” refers to the static pressure difference between the two ends of a specimen when it is traversed by an air flow under steady conditions when the volume flow is 17.5 ml / sec at the output end when the specimen is completely encapsulated in a measuring device so that no a...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0030]The features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the description of the preferred embodiments that follows.

Problems solved by technology

However, these low dpf, high total denier tow bands have issues when responding to markets that are trending to smaller-diameter smoking articles and jurisdictions having increasing regulations that require increased filter efficacy.

First, producing smaller diameter smoking articles with these known tow bands effectively condenses the filaments into a smaller space, which increases the EPD and changes the draw characteristics as a result.

Second, increasing the filter efficacy of the high total denier of these tow bands would require more surface area, e.g., more filaments, which would exacerbated the higher EPD issue.

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